418 cook's VOYAGE TO AUG. 



which we had seen to the northward ; but it was too 

 close, and in too large pieces, to attempt forcing the 

 ships through it. On the ice lay a prodigious num. 

 ber of sea-horses ; and as we were in want of fresh 

 provisions, the boats from each ship were sent to get 



some. 



By seven o'clock in the evening, we had received 

 on board the Resolution nine of these animals, 

 which, till now, we had supposed to be sea-cows, so 

 that we were not a little disappointed, especially 

 some of the seamen, who, for the novelty of the 

 thing, had been feasting their eyes for some days 

 past. Nor would they have been disappointed now, 

 nor have known the difference, if we had not hap- 

 pened to have one or two on board, who had been in 

 Greenland, and declared what animals these were, 

 and that no one ever ate of them. But notwith- 

 standing this, we lived upon them as long as they 

 lasted ; and there were few on board who did not 

 prefer them to our salt meat. 



The fat at first is as sweet as marrow ; but in a few 

 days it grows rancid, unless it be salted, in which 

 state it will keep much longer. The lean flesh is 

 coarse, black, and has rather a strong taste, and the 

 heart is nearly as well tasted as that of a bullock. 

 The fat when melted yields a good deal of oil, which 

 burns very well in lamps, and their hides, which are 

 very thick, were very useful about our rigging. The 

 teeth, or tusks, of most of them were at this time 

 very small, even some of the largest and oldest of 

 these animals had them not exceeding six inches in 

 length. From this we concluded that they had 

 lately shed their old teeth. 



They lie in herds of many hundreds upon the ice, 

 huddling one over the other like swine, and roar or 

 bray very loud ; so that in the night, or in foggy wea- 

 ther, they gave us notice of the vicinity of the ice, be- 

 fore we could see it. We never found the whole 

 herd asleep, some being always upon the watch. 



